Republic battled Northwest (Cedar Hill) into overtime Thursday before falling 1-0 at home.
Bailey Smith scored the decisive goal four minutes into the extra period to give Northwest the victory.
The Tigers have struggled to find the back of the net this season, managing just six goals through eight games. Thursday marked the third time Republic has been shut out, with their only multi-goal performance coming in a 2-0 win over Hillcrest.
Coach Jesus Zuniga said he remains confident the team can turn things around despite the rough start.
“I’ve told them our schedule is very front-loaded, and it’s very strong from the beginning,” Zuniga said. “All it takes, in my opinion, is one win, and then I think they see it.”
Zuniga pointed to the narrow margins in several games this season, including a penalty kick defeat and two other one-goal losses against quality opponents.
“One goal,” Zuniga said when asked what’s been missing. “We’ve controlled the first half, and if we just put one of those in, maybe (our opponents) hang their heads. Good teams have made us pay for our errors. We haven’t made good teams pay for their errors.”
The scoring drought has been the primary obstacle for Republic, which has averaged less than one goal per game. But Zuniga said he still sees emotion and effort from his players.
“They’ve worked way too hard and keep showing up to get better, becausethey want it badly,” he said. “(It’s a) matter of time before the hard work pays off. I think this one was so close which is why I feel like they felt it the most.”
Republic stands at 1-7 overall and will host Summit Christian Academy on Saturday at 10:30 a.m.
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